Arnold in Brazil
by Claudia Pataki
Summary: Helga and Phoebe win a Yahoo contest and go to Brazil with their classmates... but crazy things start to happen: Phoebe turns into a shop-aholic, Rhonda stars in a Brazilian soap-opera and Helga ends up as a dancer in the Carnival samba classes.
1. Late for School

**(Arnold's in the wild. He hears music coming from afar. He looks behind the leaves and sees a few musicians playing maracas and a woman with a hat made of fruit. Arnold grins and the woman who turns around is...GRANDPA?!)**

**Grandpa**

Wake up shortman, you're late for school!

**Arnold (oppening one of his eyes)**

W-what happened?

**Grandpa**

Your alarm clock is broken.

**Arnold (opening a drawer and taking of another of many alarm clocks)**

Oh, it must've fell yesterday while I was sleeping. I didn't close the window...What time is it?

**Grandpa**

09h30.

**Arnold**

OH NO! I'M SO LATE! GOTTA HURRY!

**(Gets out of bed and enters the closet. Gets dressed and gets out the door running.)**

**Grandpa**

*laughs* What a clumsy little kid.

**Grandma**

Want pancakes, dear?

**Arnold**

Loved to, Grandma but...I'm reaaally late for school.

**Grandma**

Oh, okay then. Bye!

**Arnold**

Bye!

**(Arnold leaves Sunset Arms and crosses the street, finally he gets in PS 118.)**

**Arnold (opening the door)**

Sorry for the late, Mr. Simmons!!!

**Mr. Simmons**

Arnold, you never came so late! What happened?

**Arnold**

You see, my alarm clock fell and got broken, because I didn't close the windows.

**(All the students laugh at Arnold)**

**Arnold**

It's true!

**Mr. Simmons**

Don't worry, Arnold. I forgive you, because it is the first and last time that this happends, isn't it?

**Arnold**

Yes, Mr. Simmons.

**Mr. Simmons**

Good. Now, go and sit down.

**(Arnold sits at his desk)**

**Mr. Simmons**

So, as I was saying...

**Helga (teasing Arnold)**

What a good excuse, football-head!

**Harold**

Yeah, how clever of you Arnold!

**Mr. Simmons**

May I have your atention, please?

**(Helga and Harold turn around)**

**Mr. Simmons**

So... I've been thinking, and we have very talented writers here, in this class. I thought that you all could give a good use to those creative minds of yours, and participate on this contest- **(Shows a giant yellow and green poster and starts to read:) **

**Ever dreamed of going to a tropical paradise?**

**That dream can come true! Just send us a story of the Summer Holidays you most loved and why, and you can go to the festive, animated and sensational Brazil with your classmates! The winning school gets a whole-paied trip for 1 week, with the oportunity to see the Samba classes at the **_**Carnaval **_**festival, and free Yahoo**© **sodas for you and your family to drink.**

**Send us the story with your school and classmates' addresses, to:**

**The Yahoo Factory**

**1921 Hillwood**

**United States**

**Rhonda**

Wow! Brazil! The shopping paradise! All the clothes I can buy!

**Phoebe**

All the places we can visit!

**Gerald**

What's Samba?

**(Everyone is excited with the contest and starts making noise)**

**Mr. Simmons **

Calm down, everyone! It is good to be optimistic, but we didn't win the contest yet. We can do it if we stick together and give the best of our qualities. Okay: all of you will write a story of your favorite Summer holidays, then, you'll give them to me, and I will choose the best one for the contest.

**Phoebe**

Can we do it in pairs?

**Mr. Simmons**

Well, if you want to...you can. But I think it is better to write the story alone.

**Phoebe**

Want to write the story with me, Helga?

**Helga (scratching her head)**

Phoebe! Why wasting your talent with me?

**Phoebe**

What are you saying? You wrote a wonderful poem on the last contest that won the 1st prize, and I just copied part of a book. You deserve it.

**Helga (embarrassed)**

Well... if you want to, I'll do it.

**Phoebe**

Great! Meet me tomorrow at the park, 2 PM.

**Helga**

At the park?

**Phoebe**

Yeah, so we can look for inspiration.

**Helga**

Okay.


	2. Preteen Writers

**(Helga puts on her purple jacket and walks to the city park. It's a very windy she arrives, she sees Phoebe near the lake.)**

**Phoebe**

Hi, Helga! Glad you came!

**Helga**

Yeah, yeah. Let's just finish this right away.

**Phoebe **

Oh.. OK. So, you start. Tell me about your last year's summer holidays.

**Helga (blushing)**

Well...so...me, Bob and Miriam stayed in a house near the beach. And...

**Phoebe **

...and?

**Helga (blushing even more)**

You see, a friend of mine was also there.

**Phoebe (pretending she's curious but knows exactly whom she's talking about)**

REALLY? WHO?

**Helga (with her cheeks as red as pepper)**

For a really bizarre coincidence, Arnold also was there. I told him to stay away from me. Then, when I was ready to apologize him, I saw him doing a sandcastle on the beach, talking with a blonde 13 year-old girl, and I freaked out.

**Phoebe **

Then what happened?

**Helga**

I did the craziest things to keep her away- first, I popped their boat, then, put a live lobster in her plate, and finally, I put pieces of bread around them, so the pigeons would bite her.

**Phoebe**

Why did you do that, Helga?

**Helga (angry)**

Because...Because I HAD TO, OK?

**Phoebe**

Well...OK. So, what happened next?

**Helga**

He heard me talking about all the things I did to keep Summer away...

**Phoebe**

Summer?

**Helga (laughing)**

Yeah, the girl's name! And he was really mad at me. I felt...a little regret. But then I heard Summer and her little boyfriend talking. Summer said she really fooled Arnold on her scheme. She wanted Arnold to help her on the sandcastle contest so she and her boyfriend could appear on "Babewatch". I ran to tell Arnold what was happening every way I could, but he didn't trust me...Until the sandcastle contest began: he heard them talking and then realized I was right.

**Phoebe **

Wow! Well done, Helga!

**Helga**

Haha, thanks. We both participated on the sandcastle contest and won it! And guess what? WE appeared on "Babewatch"!

**Phoebe**

Really? I wish I had seen it!

**Helga **

So...what do you think?

**Phoebe **

It is a really good story, Helga. We can turn it into poetry!

**Helga**

That would be great! All the things we can do in Brazil! All my life dreaming about it!

**Phoebe (taking her notebook off of her purse)**

Yeah! And just writing a little poem WE can win! So, Helga... **(takes her pen off of her purse) **Let's start!

**Helga**

OK, ahm... so it can be like this (...)

**(On the next day, Mr. Simmons announced the winners of the Yahoo contest.)**

**Mr. Simmons**

Today I received another letter from the Yahoo company, but I didn't open the envelop: it has the winning school of the contest.

**(A moment of silence. Helga starts to snoar and everyone giggles.)**

**Phoebe (poking Helga)**

Helga...hum...Helga?

**Helga**

Let me sleep, Miriam.

**Mr. Simmons**

Helga! You're at school!

**Helga (waking up)**

Hummm? What? Oh, sorry.

**Phoebe**

Why were you snoring, Helga?

**Helga **

Well... I...I... I was so busy writing the poem last night, that I didn't even notice that it was 4 in the morning.

**Phoebe**

Oh, that's terrible!

**Helga**

Yeah, but it worth it. The poem is great. I sent it to Yahoo.

**Mr. Simmons**

That's good, Helga. Let's see if your effort leads PS 118 to the winning school. **(Finally opens the envelop with dramatic flare.)**

**Gerald**

Here it goes... **(crosses his fingers.)**

**Rhonda**

Oh, shopping paradise god named Brazil, please make PS 118 win the contest, PLEASE!

**Mr. Simmons**

***ahem*! **The winning school and authors are below. I'll start by reading the poem:

_Oh Arnold, you are one of Love's favorite fools._  
_You don't play the game, you don't know the rules._  
_The wise boy knows he knows nothing, but that's a lie._  
_You're so trusting, so pure. It makes me want to cry._

_I could not see you hurt. Your kind heart unsteady._  
_Though it meant you'd see me as childish and petty._  
_For you I play the villain. That's my armor, my mask._  
_I'd tell you the truth. I'd sing it! If only you'd ask._

_Brief Summer, a false promise for what the year will bring._  
_I am a girl like winter, but you could make me spring._  
_Please, just this once let me find the words I need_  
_To make you see the truth. My heart is yours to read._

**(Helga smiles.)**

**Arnold (astonished)**

Who must've wrote this?

**(Helga giggles.)**

**Phoebe**

Oh my...

**(Mr. Simmons and the 5th graders clap their hands.)**

**Mr. Simmons (emotional)**

And now, here it goes: the winning school is...

**(The drum hits. Everyone is excited.)**

**Phoebe**

I can't believe it!

**Helga**

Yeah, I knew it... I knew it all the time. It was...

**Mr. Simmons (screaming)**

PHOEBE HEYERDAHL & HELGA G. PATAKI, PS 118, 5th GRADE!

**Phoebe (jumping off of her chair)**

WE DID IT! WE ACTUALLY DID IT!

**Rhonda **

OH, THANK YOU! GOD BLESS YOU, BRAZIL!

**Gerald **

Congratulations, Phoebe.

**Phoebe**

Thank you, Gerald. But I must confess, ALL the credit goes to my best friend with the poetry in her heart...HELGA G. PATAKI!

**(Everyone cheers and claps.)**

**Helga**

Thank you, everyone! It has been a pleasure. Well, I didn't write the poem alone. Phoebe did it with me, and did a great job.

**Arnold**

You know, Helga? Makes me remember something...

**Helga**

***laughs* **Yeah, that's why I wrote it.

**Arnold**

I don't understand...

**(Helga laughs.)**

**Arnold**

What's so funny?

**Helga (laughing)**

Oh, nothing...

**Rhonda**

Oh my gosh! It's gonna be sooo great! I'm going to shop 'til I drop! The only thing I need to do now is turn my dollars into _reais_!

**Gerald**

Shop? There are so much better things to do in Brazil...

**Rhonda**

Oh yeah? Like what?

**Gerald**

Like...Go to the beach and meet some Brazilians.

**Rhonda**

Is that all what you think about?

**Phoebe (pulling a chair next to Helga's desk)**

Aren't you excited, Helga? The entire class is going to BRAZIL!

**Helga **

What, are you kidding me? All my life dreaming about it!

**Phoebe**

Me too, Helga.

**Helga**

Just tell me one thing that I don't know about the contest: what the heck is a Carnaval festival?

**Phoebe**

***laughs* **A _Carnaval_ festival is a special day like Halloween. Everyone dresses up as someone the'd like to be. In Brazil the Samba classes rehearsal all year to the big day: the _Carnaval_ festival, in which WE are going to.

**Helga**

Yeah, and it better be good.


End file.
